Contemporary Political Thought: A Reader and Guide

Contemporary Political Thought is a foundation textbook in political thought. It brings together readings by leading exponents of contemporary political theory with lucid, jargon-free introductions, and is the first book in the area to combine these pedagogical elements. The book is divided into 12 sections: the twentieth to the twenty-first centuries, interpreting political thought now and then, liberalisms, conservatisms, marxisms, communitarianism, feminism, ecologism and environmentalism, post-structuralism and post-modernism, multi-culturalism, political thought beyond the Western tradition, and democratic theory for a new century. Each section contains several influential texts that provide discussion of various key theoretical positions. The introductions elucidate some of the main currents within the area of thought, and the areas of most significant tension, give cross-references to other theories, and contextualize the readings that follow. An indispensable aid for students and professors alike, Contemporary Political Thought is the perfect introduction to theoretical approaches to politics.